Moyles, 38, was welcoming a series of special guests on the show and his team presented a series of video montages looking back at his period of more than eight years in charge of the prestige morning show.

Moyles will bow out from the show for a final time tomorrow. Fellow Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw is to take over the programme later this month.

Nick Grimshaw is set to inherit an audience of under seven million when he takes over the Radio 1 breakfast show in September.

Nick Grimshaw will become Radio 1's breakfast show host in September. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

The Chris Moyles show pulled in 6.9 million listeners in the second quarter of this year - down from 7.1 million in the first three months of 2012, according to figures released by audience measurement body Rajar.

Radio 2's Chris Evans easily beat Moyles in the popularity stakes with his breakfast show reaching an audience of 8.9 million, down from 9.2 million in the first three months.

Chris Moyles played a "cruel" prank on new breakfast host Nick Grimshaw today after he abandoned him in the studio live on air.

A prank was played on new breakfast show host Nick Grimshaw today. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Grimshaw had been a guest on the flagship show and was talking about his appointment but Moyles and his team walked out, leaving the new host by himself.

The T4 presenter said: "Everyone's gone - this is not a hilarious on-air radio gag". He said Moyles had taken him for a drink last night and invited him on telling him they would have a "really nice morning together".

Grimshaw then told listeners: "I've only been up for 20 minutes. This is cruel, really cruel."